2019 CSA Share ~ Late Season Week #2
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
FILL YOUR PANTRY
Please join us on November 10th for the Fill Your Pantry event! While the pre-order phase has ended, we will be at the event with veggies for you to fill your pantry for the winter months. Be sure to get there early if you have particular varieties in mind!
Come on down and see us, and enjoy the event!
ORGANIC GRASS FED BEEF
We have a couple of shares available of our organic grass fed beef this season….our last date is next week on Nov. 5th….if you have been sitting on the fence about reserving a share this season, the time is now! Please check in with the office if you have questions or would like to place an order.
WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:
- Napa Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Collards
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Winter Squash ~ Red Kuri & Acorn or Carnival
- Onions
- Pears
RECIPES:
Napa Cabbage Salad w/Parmesan & Pistachos
Kale & Roasted Red Kuri Squash
Red Kuri Squash Curry w/Chard & Coconut
Cauliflower Gratin w/Leeks & White Cheddar
Fresh Greens Pasta Pie
Digging into the Recipe archives for Collard recipes and found this one circa 2009…an old favorite from the “Asparagus to Zucchini” cookbook…serves 4-6 people
- 20-24 small “boiling” onions (about 1 lb.)
- 1 cup polenta cornmeal
- 4 1/2 cup chicken or veggie stock, divided
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp crushed red chile flakes
- 1 bunch collard greens, thick stems discarded, leaves chopped
- 4 ozs. blue cheese, crumbled
Bring a pot of water to boiling. Cut a tiny “X” in root end of onions, drop them in the water, and cook 1-2 min. Drain, cool, and slice off ends, leaving a little root end intact so onions won’t fall apart when cooked further. Remove skins. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large ovenproof skillet. Add polenta, 4 cups stock, and 1 tsp. salt: stir well (it won’t get smooth until cooked). Bake uncovered, without stirring, until liquid is absorbed, 40-50 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in skillet. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook until nearly tender, 8-10 minutes, shaking pan frequently to prevent sticking. Add sugar & continue to cook, shaking pan, 2-3 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup of stock & vinegar. Raise heat: cook until liquid becomes a glaze, again shaking pan. Remove onions to a bowl. Wipe out skillet: add olive oil. Add garlic, chile flakes, and greens: cook, stirring often, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in onions: add salt & pepper to taste. When polenta is done, serve it in wide shallow bowls topped w/greens & blue cheese.
Ummm……Brrrrr! It’s been a cold week, but with this kind of cold weather comes abundant sunshine, and we farmers do not sneeze at that! Since we’re gathering for morning circle well before sunrise these days, it’s quite magical as the sun comes over the hill and illuminates the frost on all of the greenery…just breath taking! Warms our hearts and souls, even if we can’t feel our fingers! We have yet to find a glove that is warm, and yet dexterous! If any of you have a clue, please do share!
Our days are shifting into winter routines now….since we’re meeting when there is still frost on everything we might need to harvest, we work on other tasks. Some of those are
cleaning and sorting squash for the CSA, Wholesale orders and Markets, and doing the same with onions. This dry weather had been so fortunate for us, enabling our crew to
get out into the fields and harvest our winter storage crops of burdock and carrots. The coolers are filling up with totes of both, and these crops will give our crew winter work when the season winds down, markets end, and the fields lay fallow. We’re grateful to
not be slogging around in boots inches thick with mud, and enveloped in soggy rain gear. Every season and diversity of weather has its positive and negative aspects, and the truth is, you just have to work hard to see the bright side every day! Farmers get very good at this, and at the very least, we fake it till we make it….some days are just like that!
Your winter squash this week will be Acorn (he green and orange one pictured above) or Festival (similar to the Acorn, but yellow colored with green spots) and the Red Kuri. All are great for roasting, or using in soups or stews, or making delicious desserts. Send us your favorite recipes!
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy your veggies!
Linda and all of your Winter Green Farmers